A condensed walkthrough of RenataKane’s Wowhead guide — same step order, same recipes, same quantities, just laid out as a single page with per-tier herb-source accordions.
Before you start:
- Train Apprentice Inscription at any capital trainer; upgrade at 75 / 125 / 200 / 290 / 350 / 425.
- Buy a stack of Light Parchment from the trainer’s vendor (upgrade to Common / Heavy / Resilient at the tier breakpoints).
- Mill in groups of 5. Quality-2 pigments (Verdant / Burnt / Indigo / Ruby / Sapphire / Ebon / Icy) drop as a bonus — save them, several tiers use them.
- “Save These for Later” rows are inks you’ll consume in a later craft step — don’t vendor them.
Total materials needed
The author’s minimum shopping list (more if you hit green difficulty):
| Amount | Mill these herbs | Yields |
|---|
| 120 | Earthroot, Peacebloom, Silverleaf | Alabaster Pigment |
| 110 | Mageroyal, Stranglekelp, Briarthorn, Bruiseweed, Swiftthistle | Dusky + Verdant |
| 170 | Grave Moss, Wild Steelbloom, Kingsblood, Liferoot | Golden + Burnt |
| 180 | Wintersbite, Fadeleaf, Goldthorn, Khadgar’s Whisker | Emerald + Indigo |
| 240 | Arthas’ Tears, Firebloom, Purple Lotus, Sungrass, Blindweed, Ghost Mushroom, Gromsblood | Violet + Ruby |
| 120 | Dreamfoil, Golden Sansam, Icecap, Mountain Silversage, Plaguebloom | Silvery + Sapphire |
| 180 | Dreaming Glory, Felweed, Ragveil, Terocone, Ancient Lichen, Mana Thistle, Netherbloom, Nightmare Vine | Nether + Ebon |
| 500 | Deadnettle, Fire Leaf, Goldclover, Talandra’s Rose, Adder’s Tongue, Icethorn, Lichbloom | Azure + Icy |
1 → 125 (Apprentice → Journeyman)
| Level | Craft | Recipe | Materials |
|---|
| 1 → 18 | 17× |  Ivory Ink (save for later) | 17 Alabaster Pigment |
| 18 → 35 | 17× |  Scroll of Stamina | 17 Ivory Ink + 17 Light Parchment |
| 35 → 53 | 22× |  Moonglow Ink (save) | 44 Alabaster Pigment |
| 53 → 75 | 22× |  Armor Vellum | 22 Moonglow Ink + 44 Light Parchment |
| 75 → 80 | 20× |  Midnight Ink (save) | 40 Dusky Pigment |
| 80 → 100 | 20× |  Glyphs (yellow or better) | 20 Midnight Ink + 20 Light Parchment |
| 100 → 105 | 40× |  Lion’s Ink (save) | 80 Golden Pigment |
| 105 → 125 | 20× | Glyphs (yellow or better) | 20 Lion’s Ink + 20 Common Parchment |
→ Train Expert Inscription at the trainer.
125 → 200 (Expert → Artisan)
| Level | Craft | Recipe | Materials |
|---|
| 125 → 130 | 10× |  Dawnstar Ink (save) | 10 Burnt Pigment |
| 130 → 145 | 15× | Glyphs | 15 Lion’s Ink + 15 Common Parchment |
| 145 → 150 | 5× |  Strange Tarot | 10 Dawnstar Ink + 10 Lion’s Ink + 5 Common Parchment |
| 150 → 155 | 47× |  Jadefire Ink (save) | 94 Emerald Pigment |
| 155 → 195 | 40× | Glyphs | 40 Jadefire Ink + 40 Common Parchment |
| 195 → 200 | ~7× | Glyphs | 7 Jadefire Ink + 7 Common Parchment |
→ Train Artisan Inscription.
200 → 290 (Artisan → Master)
| Level | Craft | Recipe | Materials |
|---|
| 200 → 205 | 55× |  Celestial Ink (save) | 110 Violet Pigment |
| 205 → 245 | 40× | Glyphs | 40 Celestial Ink + 40 Heavy Parchment |
| 245 → 250 | 5× |  Weapon Vellum II | 5 Fiery Ink + 5 Celestial Ink + 10 Heavy Parchment |
| 250 → 255 | 35× |  Shimmering Ink (save) | 70 Silvery Pigment |
| 255 → 260 | 5× |  Scroll of Spirit V | 5 Shimmering Ink + 10 Heavy Parchment |
| 260 → 275 | 15× | Glyphs | 30 Shimmering Ink + 30 Heavy Parchment |
| 275 → 290 | 15× |  Ink of the Sky | 15 Sapphire Pigment |
→ Train Master Inscription in Dalaran, Shattrath, or any Master / Grand Master trainer.
290 → 350 (Master → Grand Master)
| Level | Craft | Recipe | Materials |
|---|
| 290 → 305 | 45× |  Ethereal Ink (save) | 90 Nether Pigment |
| 305 → 350 | 45× | Glyphs | 45 Ethereal Ink + 45 Resilient Parchment |
→ Train Grand Master Inscription in Dalaran, Borean Tundra, Howling Fjord, or Icecrown.
350 → 450 (Grand Master)
| Level | Craft | Recipe | Materials |
|---|
| 350 → 355 | 90× |  Ink of the Sea (save) | 180 Azure Pigment |
| 355 → 360 | 5× |  Scroll of Spirit VII | 5 Ink of the Sea + 10 Resilient Parchment |
| 360 → 365 | 5× | Scroll of Intellect VII | 5 Ink of the Sea + 10 Resilient Parchment |
| 365 → 370 | 5× |  Scroll of Strength VII | 5 Ink of the Sea + 10 Resilient Parchment |
| 370 → 375 | 5× |  Scroll of Agility VII | 5 Ink of the Sea + 10 Resilient Parchment |
| 375 → 380 | 50× |  Snowfall Ink (save) | 100 Icy Pigment |
| 380 → 385 | ~7× | Glyphs | 7 Ink of the Sea + 7 Resilient Parchment |
| 385 → 386 | 1× |  Northrend Inscription Research | 3 Ink of the Sea + 1 Snowfall Ink + 3 Resilient Parchment |
| 386 → 400 | 25× |  Major Glyphs | 25 Ink of the Sea + 25 Resilient Parchment |
| 400 → 405 | 5× | Scroll of Stamina VIII | 5 Ink of the Sea + 10 Resilient Parchment |
| 405 → 410 | 5× | Scroll of Spirit VIII | 5 Ink of the Sea + 10 Resilient Parchment |
| 410 → 415 | 5× | Scroll of Intellect VIII | 5 Ink of the Sea + 10 Resilient Parchment |
| 415 → 420 | 5× | Scroll of Strength VIII | 5 Ink of the Sea + 10 Resilient Parchment |
| 420 → 430 | ~13× | Scroll of Agility VIII | 13 Ink of the Sea + 26 Resilient Parchment |
| 430 → 450 | 20× | Northrend Inscription Research (20 h CD) | 60 Ink of the Sea + 20 Snowfall Ink + 60 Resilient Parchment |
Past 430 you’re capped by the 20-hour Northrend Inscription Research cooldown — you’ll need to log in daily and burn the CD to finish.
Herb sources
Each accordion lists the herbs you mill for that pigment tier and the best zones to farm them.
Alabaster Pigment — 120 herbs (Apprentice Herbalism)
| Herb | Best zones |
|---|
| Peacebloom | Elwynn Forest, Durotar, Mulgore, Tirisfal Glades, Dun Morogh, Teldrassil, Eversong Woods, Azuremyst Isle |
| Silverleaf | Same starter zones as Peacebloom |
| Earthroot | Mulgore, Dun Morogh, Loch Modan, Darkshore, Stonetalon Mountains |
Dusky + Verdant Pigment — 110 herbs (skill 25+)
| Herb | Best zones |
|---|
| Mageroyal | Westfall, Loch Modan, Silverpine Forest, Darkshore, Bloodmyst Isle, Ghostlands |
| Briarthorn | Westfall, Loch Modan, Silverpine Forest, Darkshore, Redridge |
| Bruiseweed | Stonetalon Mountains, Ashenvale, Hillsbrad Foothills, Wetlands |
| Stranglekelp | Coastal — Stranglethorn Vale, Wetlands, Darkshore, Hillsbrad |
| Swiftthistle | Drops while picking Mageroyal & Briarthorn |
Golden + Burnt Pigment — 170 herbs (skill 75+)
| Herb | Best zones |
|---|
| Wild Steelbloom | Arathi Highlands, Badlands, Stranglethorn Vale, Thousand Needles |
| Grave Moss | Hillsbrad, Arathi Highlands, Stranglethorn Vale (graveyards) |
| Kingsblood | Stranglethorn Vale, Arathi Highlands, Thousand Needles, Desolace |
| Liferoot | Hillsbrad, Wetlands, Swamp of Sorrows, Arathi, Stranglethorn |
Emerald + Indigo Pigment — 180 herbs (skill 125+)
| Herb | Best zones |
|---|
| Wintersbite | Alterac Mountains, Winterspring |
| Fadeleaf | Hillsbrad, Arathi Highlands, Stranglethorn, Swamp of Sorrows |
| Goldthorn | Hinterlands, Tanaris, Feralas, Searing Gorge |
| Khadgar’s Whisker | Hinterlands, Western Plaguelands, Stranglethorn (best yield) |
Violet + Ruby Pigment — 240 herbs (skill 175+)
| Herb | Best zones |
|---|
| Arthas’ Tears | Western Plaguelands, Eastern Plaguelands |
| Sungrass | Felwood, Un’Goro Crater, Hinterlands, Eastern Plaguelands |
| Blindweed | Swamp of Sorrows, Eastern Plaguelands, Felwood |
| Firebloom | Searing Gorge, Tanaris, Silithus, Burning Steppes |
| Purple Lotus | Eastern & Western Plaguelands, Felwood, Un’Goro, Burning Steppes |
| Ghost Mushroom | Maraudon (cave nodes), Hinterlands caves |
| Gromsblood | Felwood (Demon Fall Canyon), Desolace |
Silvery + Sapphire Pigment — 120 herbs (skill 225+)
| Herb | Best zones |
|---|
| Dreamfoil | Silithus, Azshara, Un’Goro, Plaguelands, Winterspring |
| Mountain Silversage | Winterspring, Un’Goro, Burning Steppes, Felwood |
| Plaguebloom | Western & Eastern Plaguelands, Felwood |
| Golden Sansam | Burning Steppes, Felwood, Western Plaguelands, Un’Goro |
| Icecap | Winterspring only |
Nether + Ebon Pigment — 180 herbs (skill 275+)
| Herb | Best zones |
|---|
| Felweed | Hellfire Peninsula, Zangarmarsh, Terokkar Forest (cheapest) |
| Dreaming Glory | Hellfire Peninsula, Terokkar, Nagrand, Blade’s Edge |
| Ragveil | Zangarmarsh |
| Terocone | Terokkar Forest |
| Ancient Lichen | Nagrand caves (Throne of Elements), Underbog, Coilfang |
| Netherbloom | Netherstorm |
| Nightmare Vine | Shadowmoon Valley, Blade’s Edge |
| Mana Thistle | Blade’s Edge, Netherstorm, Shadowmoon Valley |
Azure + Icy Pigment — 500 herbs (skill 325+)
| Herb | Best zones |
|---|
| Goldclover | Howling Fjord, Borean Tundra, Grizzly Hills |
| Tiger Lily | Borean Tundra, Howling Fjord, Dragonblight |
| Talandra’s Rose | Dragonblight, Zul’Drak, Borean Tundra |
| Adder’s Tongue | Sholazar Basin (densest in WotLK) |
| Lichbloom | Storm Peaks, Icecrown |
| Icethorn | Storm Peaks, Icecrown |
| Deadnettle | By-product of Goldclover / Tiger Lily / Talandra’s Rose |
| Fire Leaf | By-product of Adder’s Tongue (Sholazar Basin) |
Source
Original guide by RenataKane on Wowhead: WotLK Classic Inscription Leveling 1-450.